


Teach Me To Fight

by wordyanansi



Series: Tumblr Prompts [9]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-Season/Series 03, Speculative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 16:18:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5212508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordyanansi/pseuds/wordyanansi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Clarke and Miller beat the shit out of each other, Bellamy confronts his hypothetical anger issues, and Bellamy and Clarke talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Teach Me To Fight

**Author's Note:**

> So the speculation here is what happens in season three... that Clarke comes back after three months because of Broses Jaha the Clearly Insane, and then she and Bellamy have another whirlwind adventure, and then she's just... back, and he's not sure how to feel about it. 
> 
> Thank you to Samantha for the prompt. Please send me prompts. I love them. 
> 
> [wordy-anansi](http://wordy-anansi.tumblr.com)

When Bellamy turns the corner to see Miller and Clarke exchanging actual physical blows, he’s really not sure how to react. Clarke grunts as Miller throws a fist into her stomach, and then she twists to throw an elbow into Miller’s face, he catches it before it breaks his nose, but she still gets his jaw, and he stumbles backwards, feral grin on his face. He can see Clarke breathing heavily, but can’t see her expression. When Miller steps forward again, bringing his hands up to strike again, Bellamy snaps out of his disbelief.

 

“What is going on here?” he demands, striding forward. He’s trying to keep a lid on his emotions, but to be honest, it’s kind of conflicting to see his two best friends beating each other up, and he can’t imagine what’s caused it. Miller steps back immediately, hands in the air.

“It was her idea, man, I told her to tell you,” Miller says, defending himself. Bellamy looks at him for a moment, confused, and then turns to Clarke, who’s looking defiant. And he’s pretty sure she’s got a black eye, and he has no idea how she’s going to explain it.

 

“Someone really needs to explain to me what is happening here,” Bellamy says, looking between them. Miller’s in a similar condition, breathing heavily, and he’s pretty sure that there’s a new limp Miller’s sporting. He doesn’t know whether to be angry or proud or worried. He’s leaning towards angry, because that one seems easiest. Huh, maybe Octavia’s right about his anger issues.

“She just came up to me and said “teach me to fight”,” Miller says. “And I asked if she asked you and she asked if I was going to do it or not, and it kind of looked like saying no would be a bad idea. Because, you know, she can be mildly terrifying.” Bellamy tries not to smiles, and he’s pretty sure he keeps his face serious. Because, let’s be real, Clarke could be kind of terrifying. Clarke looks like she’s torn between taking offence and being proud of her ability to be terrifying.

 

“Is there a specific reason you didn’t ask me?” Bellamy asks her. It’s the kind of question that has been getting him into trouble lately with Octavia, who is convinced he’s in love with her. Clarke raises her eyebrows, and Miller looks down at his shoes. Okay, yes, he wanted to her to ask because it was him. But, “I am, you know, in charge of training cadets,” he adds, because it’s true.

“You seemed busy,” Clarke says. And even Miller snorts and the faux innocent tone in her voice. They both turn to glare at him, and he makes a hasty retreat, leaving them to it. It’s probably a safe move. Bellamy turns back to face her, and she’s still glaring.

“And now for the real reason? How have I pissed you off this time, Clarke?” he snaps at her. Yeah, anger is the default. He should apologise to Octavia. Or not.

“I’m allowed to pick my fighting teacher, Bellamy. And Miller is a perfectly appropriate teacher. Member of the guard and all that,” Clarke snaps back. “And you did seem busy.” Bellamy shakes his head.

“I trained Miller. I know how good he is or isn’t. And I can tell you that you could have picked a better teacher. Like, you know, the person in charge of training all the fighters,” Bellamy fires off, taking a step forward. Clarke scoffs.

“Really? You wouldn’t have questioned my wanting to learn? Could you have thrown a punch at me and meant it? Really?” Clarke challenges, stepping in as well. “Because you’ve been avoiding me, and I wanted to learn, and this seemed like the best option. Also, Miller seemed like the least likely person you’d punch if you found us sparring.” Bellamy narrows his eyes.

“I haven’t been avoiding you,” Bellamy begins. Clarke shoves him in the chest, and he takes a step back surprised at her.

“You have. You’ve been avoiding me since I got back. And you’ve got plenty of good reasons. But I’m sick of justifying myself to you and everyone. And Miller… Miller doesn’t ask questions,” Clarke says, but her anger fades, and he’s just staring at her.

 

He’s not sure what to say next, or how to say the things he should. The worst part is, she’s not entirely wrong. In the beginning, it had been this weird rush through trying to keep everyone alive, to trying to rescue everyone, to find each other again… by the time they got back to Camp Jaha after Mount Weather, it felt like they finally had a choice about something… and he had thought… and then she was gone. The first person who ever really understood who he was, why he was… and she walked away. And now she’s back, and he’s honestly not sure what any of that means, not now she’s been gone for three months. Another adventure together, chasing after crazy ass Jaha and Murphy of all people, saving the world. And now she’s just here, in camp, like she’s always going to be there, and he can’t trust that anymore; he’s not sure he can trust her anymore.

 

“Miller doesn’t ask questions,” Bellamy agrees. “He’s a good choice.” And he tries not to feel like she could have chosen him, and it’s proof he was right to keep her at arm’s length. “Sorry for interrupting.” Then he turns to go, because it doesn’t feel like there’s anything left to say. Not anymore.

“Is that it?” Clarke asks. And she sounds angry this time, really angry. Angry like she hasn’t been since they first landed. And it stopped him, that flash of his Clarke.

“What do you want me to say, Clarke? I over reacted. Keep doing what ever you want to be doing, that’s what you do now,” Bellamy says without turning around.

“Yeah, and how is that so different from you, Mr “whatever the hell you want”?” Clarke bites out, and he spins around, angry, now, for real.

“You know damn well it’s been a long time since that first week on earth. And you know damn well that’s not who I am,” Bellamy says, trying not to shout, and it comes out low and vicious instead. But Clarke doesn’t back down, and it’s like before again, and his chest feels strange.

“What do I know Bellamy? Aside from the fact you don’t look at me anymore. Through me, near me, around me. But not at me. I know you’re angry at me, but stop pretending that this,” Clarke says, gesturing to the distance between them, “is all on me.” The way she spits out the words, enunciates them, makes it sound like it’s something she’s been wanting to say for a while. He loves and hates how he can tell all of these things about her still, when she feels like… not a stranger… just… Christ. That’s it. Apathetic. She doesn’t care about him and it eats at him.

“You left,” is what he says instead. His voice is soft and quiet, and he looks at her, really looks at her.

“I can’t change that,” Clarke replies, frustrated, apologetic. Bellamy swallows thickly. And he knows, suddenly, that this is the moment he says it. He thinks about bolting.

“No. You… you were the first person who… you understood me, Clarke. You were the first. And then you just left. And I get why you did it. I know you weren’t… but you were. You left me too,” Bellamy manages, and he wishes he could look away, but he can’t. She’s blue eyes and yellow hair, and Clarke. He’s missed her. He knows he’s speaking in riddles and half truths, but he sees in her eyes that she gets it, him. Again. But she’s just staring at him.

“People still act like we’re… like we were,” Clarke says, eventually. Bellamy nods.

“I know,” Bellamy agrees. “I tell them we’re not. They don’t believe me.” Clarke nods.

“Jasper gets drunk and slurs about inevitability and fate,” Clarke says with a half smile. “It’s not helping Harper’s crush.” Bellamy snorts.

“Harper could do so much better,” Bellamy says. “And Jasper should drink less.” Clarke snorts. And for a moment, they’re them again, the adoptive parents of a hundred children, and they’d watched half of them die. The reality sets in his stomach again, and he can see Clarke sobering too.

“I had to go,” Clarke says, softly, honesty in her eyes, and hurt. Bellamy nods.

“I know,” he agrees. She nods.

“I know you know. But you’re still angry at me,” Clarke says. Bellamy shakes his head.

“My mother used to say something… ‘Anger is a secondary emotion’,” Bellamy replies. “I think… I think she’s right. I’m not angry at you, Clarke, not really.”

“What are you then, Bellamy? Because I-,” Clarke begins. But he cuts her off.

“I’m hurt,” he says, his voice sharp. She looks at him, eyes hard again. And then she softens. And the words come unbidden. “You saw me, and then you left.” She stares at him for a moment, processing, and he wonders if it’s enough, because he knows he doesn’t have it in him to say the rest. It looks like she’s about to walk away for a moment, to leave it all unsaid, and him feeling like an open wound. But she doesn’t.

“Oh,” she says, but somehow it’s enough. “I didn’t mean-,” she begins.

“I know,” Bellamy says.

“It wasn’t -,” Clarke tries.

“Clarke, I know,” Bellamy says, and this time he smiles. And she smiles back.

“I would have taken you with me. But they needed you more,” Clarke says, finally. And he swallows around the lump that has suddenly formed in his throat.

“Now that I didn’t know,” Bellamy says, and Clarke laughs, short and low.

“Yeah, well, funnily enough, you don’t actually know everything,” Clarke teases, her voice slightly husky and amused. It feels like the moment he saw Octavia on the drop ship, that longing and missing, and he wants to wrap her in his arms, but it’s probably not the time.

“I uh, I’m actually on my way to a scheduling meeting,” he admits, and he knows he needs to go anyway. But he wants to stay too.

“Busy,” she comments, still teasing.

“Yeah, not too busy for you though, Clarke,” he says seriously. And she smiles, and he sees a faint blush tinging her cheeks.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’m still training with Miller though,” Clarke warns him. Bellamy grins and nods.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t expect anything else. See you around, Clarke,” Bellamy says.

“Yeah, see you around,” Clarke agrees with a smile and a nod before he walks away.

 

He thinks that while it’s not much, it’s enough. And it’s the beginning of something new between them. Something more… just more. Maybe Octavia was right. Not that he’s ever going to tell her that.

 

 


End file.
